Microbial contamination of textiles can contribute to the spread of infectious diseases, including healthcare associated infections, which are among the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States and are associated with a substantial increase in health care costs each year. In other instances, microbial contaminations can cause unsightly stains and unpleasant odors.
Textiles having antimicrobial properties can help reduce (or eliminate) microbial contaminations of textiles. In one prior approach to providing a textile having antimicrobial properties, the textile is treated with an antimicrobial agent during a textile manufacturing process. For example, the fibers of the textile are embedded or coated with antimicrobial agent during the manufacturing process. However, the total amount of antimicrobial agent is fixed at the point of conversion of the fibers into a textile and the efficacy declines over time as the antimicrobial agent in the fabric is washed away when laundered and never restored. Moreover, this approach has proven to be unsatisfactory to market participants.
In addition to the efficacy/performance issues noted above, these products require commercial linen users, such as hospitals and other health care delivery facilities, to make a large upfront capital investment to purchase a new, antimicrobial agent-impregnated, linen inventory and discard existing and otherwise useable inventory. Further, the products may exhibit a soiled off-white discoloration appearance, may be uncomfortable to the touch, and are known to be difficult to launder, dry and press verses traditional linens.